Chapter 4: AWS Get Started
AWS Cloud Get Started (or simply AWS Getting Started).
This is not one single button or secret page — it’s the official beginner onboarding journey AWS designed for absolute newbies like you or me when we first heard about cloud.
When people search “AWS Get Started”, “AWS Cloud Get Started”, or “how to start with AWS” — they almost always land on the central hub:
https://aws.amazon.com/getting-started/
This page is your starting line — it bundles everything a first-timer needs: account creation, free tier explanation, core concepts, step-by-step onboarding tasks, hands-on tutorials, and links to training.
Think of it as AWS’s front door for beginners — welcoming, step-by-step, and designed so you don’t get lost in 200+ services right away.
Let me walk you through it like we’re doing a live screen-share session — detailed, practical, with Hyderabad examples and zero overwhelm.
1. What “AWS Getting Started” Really Means (The Big Picture)
It’s the complete beginner pathway to:
- Create a safe AWS account
- Understand Free Tier (so no surprise bill shocks — very common fear in India!)
- Learn basic cloud concepts quickly
- Do your first real hands-on actions (launch something!)
- Set up your environment securely
AWS officially calls sections like:
- Getting Started Resource Center → the hub page
- Onboarding to AWS → the recommended 6-step checklist
- Hands-on Tutorials → practical labs
- Cloud Essentials → theory intro
All live under aws.amazon.com/getting-started/
2. Step-by-Step: What You See & Do on the Getting Started Page (2026 View)
Go to https://aws.amazon.com/getting-started/ right now (open in new tab!).
You’ll see big sections like:
| Section on Page | What it does / Why important for you in Hyderabad | Next Action / Example |
|---|---|---|
| Create an AWS Account button (huge blue one) | First real step — sign up for free. Gives instant access to Free Tier. | Click → follow steps below. Use Indian phone + debit/credit card (Visa/Master/Rupay works). |
| Onboarding to AWS (recommended 6 tasks) | The “do this first” checklist — super practical. | Complete these in order (takes 2–4 hours total). |
| Hands-on Tutorials | Step-by-step builds: host website, store files, run serverless code. | Start with “Host a static website” — perfect first win. |
| Explore AWS Cloud Essentials | Quick theory: what is cloud? What is AWS? Benefits. | Read if you skipped earlier intros. |
| Free Tier links | Explains ₹0 usage limits (12 months + always free). | Set billing alarm immediately! |
| Training & Certification | Links to free digital courses on Skill Builder. | Start “AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials” here. |
3. The Famous 6 Onboarding Tasks (Do These First – Official 2026 Recommendation)
AWS says: “If you’re a beginner, complete these six tasks.”
- Create your AWS account
- Go → aws.amazon.com → “Create an AWS Account” (or /free/)
- Email (use Gmail/Outlook)
- Password
- Account name (e.g., “HyderabadWebApp2026”)
- Contact info (Indian address ok)
- Phone verification (OTP via call/SMS)
- Add payment method (debit card — no charge yet)
- Choose “Basic support – Free” → Done! You now have root access (but we’ll secure it next).
- Secure your account (very important – don’t skip!)
- Enable MFA on root user (use Google Authenticator app)
- Create IAM admin user (never use root for daily work)
- Give that user AdministratorAccess policy
- Log out → log in as IAM user → Example: In Hyderabad, many get hacked early because they kept using root — don’t be that person!
- Set up billing alerts (protect your wallet!)
- Go to Billing console → Budgets → Create budget
- Set ₹500 monthly limit + email alert at 80% → Real story: A student in Gachibowli forgot → got ₹12,000 bill from leaving EC2 running. Alert saved me once!
- Explore the AWS Management Console
- Log in → land on Console Home (we talked about this earlier)
- Play with search bar: type “S3”, “EC2”, “Lambda”
- Change region to ap-south-1 (Mumbai) — lowest latency for us.
- Try a hands-on tutorial
- Go to getting-started/hands-on
- Pick easy one: “Launch a virtual machine with EC2” (t3.micro free) or “Host static website on S3” → Example project: Upload your college project HTML + photos to S3 bucket → get live URL → share with friends!
- Learn more (start free training)
- Go to aws.amazon.com/training → Skill Builder
- Enroll in “AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials” (free, 6–10 hours) → Builds perfect foundation for cert we discussed yesterday.
4. AWS Free Tier in 2026 – What You Actually Get for Free (Key for Beginners)
New customers now often get up to $200 credits (sometimes $100 instant + more as you explore), plus classic Free Tier:
| Service | Free for 12 months | Always Free (forever, limited) | Notes for Hyderabad users |
|---|---|---|---|
| EC2 | 750 hours t3.micro/month | — | Enough for 1 small server 24/7 |
| S3 | 5 GB storage | Yes (limited) | Store photos/videos free |
| Lambda | 1 million requests + compute time | Yes | Serverless experiments free |
| RDS | 750 hours db.t3.micro | — | Free MySQL/PostgreSQL trial |
| Many others | — | CloudWatch, DynamoDB (25 GB), etc. | Play safely! |
Tip: Always choose ap-south-1 Mumbai region — cheaper data transfer within India + fast.
5. Real Hyderabad Beginner Example: Your First “I Did It!” Moment
Goal: Host a simple personal portfolio site (free).
- Create account (10 min)
- Enable MFA + IAM user (15 min)
- Set ₹300 budget alert (5 min)
- Go to S3 → create bucket “my-hyderabad-portfolio-2026”
- Upload index.html (simple HTML with your photo & bio)
- Enable static website hosting
- Get URL like: http://my-hyderabad-portfolio-2026.s3-website-ap-south-1.amazonaws.com
- Open in browser → your site is live on AWS Cloud!
Time: ~45 min. Cost: ₹0 (if under limits).
Boom — you’re officially “started” on AWS!
Quick Summary Table – AWS Get Started Roadmap
| Stage | Time | Goal | Key Link / Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sign Up | 10 min | Free account + Free Tier | aws.amazon.com/free |
| 2. Secure It | 20 min | MFA + IAM admin user | IAM console → users |
| 3. Billing Safety | 10 min | Alerts & budgets | Billing → Budgets |
| 4. First Hands-On | 30–60 min | Launch EC2 or S3 website | getting-started/hands-on |
| 5. Learn Theory | 6–12 hrs | Cloud basics | Skill Builder – Cloud Practitioner Essentials |
| 6. Next Goal | Ongoing | Prep for Cloud Practitioner cert | Continue tutorials + mocks |
So “AWS Cloud Get Started” = the welcoming, structured beginner path AWS gives you to go from “zero idea” to “I have an account, I launched something, I didn’t get billed ₹10,000 by mistake”.
Want me to guide you live through creating the account safely right now (step-by-step warnings for India)? Or pick one hands-on tutorial to do together? Or explain Free Tier limits in more detail?
Tell me — next practical class starts whenever you’re ready! 🚀🏁
